The man accused in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump to appear in court
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The man charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump when he was running for President last year will be in court Tuesday.
Prosecutors say a Secret Service agent spotted Ryan Routh holding a rifle and fired on him while Trump was golfing at his West Palm Beach club in September.
Routh faces five federal charges. The hearing will focus on the semi-automatic, SKS-style rifle authorities say Routh planned to use in the assassination attempt. Law enforcement authorities found the rifle in what they described as a “sniper’s nest” near the fence just outside of Trump’s golf club. Routh has pleaded not guilty.
The federal agent who was part of Trump’s security detail says he saw a gun barrel poking out from the tree line a few holes ahead of where the then-Presidential candidate was golfing. The agent fired at the person holding the gun. A man, later identified as Routh, fled the scene and was arrested a short time later driving north on Interstate 95.
Routh’s federal public defenders are asking U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to give them access to the rifle. They want a defense expert to examine and test-fire the weapon. The rifle left behind at the scene had a scope attached to it in a makeshift matter using electrical tape. Routh’s lawyers want their own experts to testify how well or whether it would have worked if fired at Trump that day.
Prosecutors say there’s no question that the gun worked. An FBI weapons expert test-fired the rifle when it was seized and processed as evidence. But they say the question of how well it worked is not relevant. More importantly, they say, is Routh’s alleged intent to attempt to kill then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump. If there was poor planning, problems with the gun, or other things that prevented the attack from happening, they say those details can’t be used as a defense.
Routh’s lawyers say if they aren’t granted access to the gun, they’d like all expert testimony about it excluded at trial. These are issues Judge Cannon will consider at Tuesday’s hearing.
Along with the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, Routh is also charged with four other counts including federal weapons violations. Prosecutors have recently released some new details that they want to introduce at the trial. Those include messages recovered from Routh’s phone showing that he attempted to buy a 50-caliber rifle and a rocket launcher. That’s further evidence, they claim, of his intent. The defense hasn’t responded yet to the new information contained in court filings.
Routh’s trial is set to begin in September. The judge in this case, Aileen Cannon, also presided over Trump’s classified documents trial brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Cannon, who was appointed to the federal bench by Trump in his first term, ultimately dismissed the case that accused Trump of mishandling classified and top-secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
‘It’s like feeling the arms of your creator just wrapped around you’: a visit to a special healing Shabbat
Members of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham gathered recently for their traditional Friday Shabbat service. But this particular service was different, as could be seen by all the people dressed in their finest pink.
Space Command is coming to Huntsville. What might that mean for first-time homebuyers
While Huntsville has been a more affordable market than other growing cities, what’s it been like for those looking for their first home?
Colorado says relocation of Space Command to Alabama is ‘punishment’ for mail-in voting
The litigation announced by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser asks a federal judge to block the move as unconstitutional.
Breaking down Alabama’s CHOOSE Act
It’s been a year since Alabama legislators passed the CHOOSE Act allowing families to apply for state funds to use towards homeschool expenses and tuition for participating private schools. The Alabama Daily News’ education reporter Trisha Powell Crain has been diving into how the funds are being used. WBHM’s Andrew Gelderman sat down with her to talk about what we’re seeing so far.
